Research Article

Characterization of hematite nanoparticles synthesized via sol gel method in tween 20 surfactant solution

IBRAHIM ABDULKADIR1*, Bice S. Martincigh2
1 Department of chemistry, Ahmadu Bello University, Sokoto expressway Samaru, Zaria, Nigeria.
2 School of Chemistry and Physics, University of KwZulu-Natal Westville Campus, South Africa
* Corresponding author: martinci@ukzn.ac.za
Published: Jun, 2015
Pages: 108-113

Abstract

Samples of hematite (α-Fe2O3) nanoparticles (HTW) have been synthesized through a modified sol-gel method in Tween 20 (a polysorbate surfactant), separate portions of the powders were annealed at three different temperatures (400, 500 and 600 °C). The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution electron microscopy (HRTEM), Mössbauer spectroscopy and by means of a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). In addition, all the characterization techniques used showed the formation of phases of hematite nanoparticles with improved purity and crystallinity after higher temperature annealing. The nanoparticle size range was between 16 and 27 nm indicating good size control for Tween 20. The BET specific surface area ranged between 17 and 37 m2 g -1 which is also good for synthesis via solution route. The saturation magnetization and and mӧssbauer analysis both support the presence in the sample at lower annealing temperature of the presence of impurities of maghemite (γ-Fe2O3). Of particular note was the ability of Tween 20 to control the growth of the particles so that grain sizes well below 15 nm were obtained. Thus, Tween 20, when used as a surfactant in the sol-gel route, can serve to improve the physical properties of synthesized hematite nanoparticles.

References

  1. Walter, D., Characterization of synthetic hydrous hematite pigments. Thermochimica Acta, 2006. 445(2): p. 195-199.
  2. Prim, S.R., et al., Synthesis and characterization of hematite pigment obtained from a steel waste industry. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2011. 192(3): p. 1307-1313.
  3. Wu, C., et al., Synthesis of Hematite (α-Fe2O3) Nanorods: Diameter-Size and Shape Effects on Their Applications in Magnetism, Lithium Ion Battery, and Gas Sensors. The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2006. 110(36): p. 17806-17812.
  4. Gou, X., et al., Monodisperse hematite porous nanospheres: synthesis, characterization, and applications for gas sensors. Nanotechnology, 2008. 19(12): p. 125606.
  5. Tilley, S.D., et al., Light-Induced Water Splitting with Hematite: Improved Nanostructure and Iridium Oxide Catalysis. Angewandte Chemie, 2010. 122(36): p. 6549-6552.
  6. Herrera, F., et al., Catalytic combustion of Orange II on hematite: Surface species responsible for the dye degradation. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 2001. 29(2): p. 147-162.
  7. Xu, Y., et al., α-Fe2O3 nanostructures with different morphologies: Additive-free synthesis, magnetic properties, and visible light photocatalytic properties. Materials Letters, 2013. 92(0): p. 321-324.
  8. Tartaj, P., et al., The Iron Oxides Strike Back: From Biomedical Applications to Energy Storage Devices and Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting. Advanced Materials, 2011. 23(44): p. 5243-5249.
  9. Zeng, S., et al., Hematite Hollow Spindles and Microspheres: Selective Synthesis, Growth Mechanisms, and Application in Lithium Ion Battery and Water Treatment. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2007. 111(28): p. 10217-10225.
  10. Thomann, I., et al., Plasmon Enhanced Solar-to-Fuel Energy Conversion. Nano Letters, 2011. 11(8): p. 3440-3446.
  11. Ramesh, R., et al., Synthesis and properties of α-Fe2O3 nanorods. Crystal Research and Technology, 2010. 45(9): p. 965-968.
  12. Gou, X., et al., Flutelike Porous Hematite Nanorods and Branched Nanostructures: Synthesis, Characterisation and Application for Gas-Sensing. Chemistry A European Journal, 2008. 14(19): p. 5996-6002.
  13. Almeida, T.P., et al., Process Map for the Hydrothermal Synthesis of α-Fe2O3 Nanorods. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2009. 113(43): p. 18689-18698.
  14. Zhu, Y., et al., Preparation of superhydrophilic α-Fe2O3 nanofibers with tunable magnetic properties. Thin Solid Films, 2006. 510(1-2): p. 271-274.
  15. Zheng, W., et al., Electrospinning route for α-Fe2O3 ceramic nanofibers and their gas sensing properties. Materials Research Bulletin, 2009. 44(6): p. 1432-1436.
  16. Wen, X., et al., Controlled Growth of Large-Area, Uniform, Vertically Aligned Arrays of α-Fe2O3 Nanobelts and Nanowires. The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2004. 109(1): p. 215-220.
  17. Wang, R., et al., Bicrystalline Hematite Nanowires. The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2005. 109(25): p. 12245-12249.
  18. Wang, S.-B., Y.-L. Min, and S.-H. Yu, Synthesis and Magnetic Properties of Uniform Hematite Nanocubes. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2007. 111(9): p. 3551-3554.
  19. Lu, A.-H., E.L. Salabas, and F. Schüth, Magnetic Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Protection, Functionalization, and Application. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2007. 46(8): p. 1222-1244.
  20. Liu, L., et al., Surfactant-Assisted Synthesis of α-Fe2O3 Nanotubes and Nanorods with Shape-Dependent Magnetic Properties. The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2006. 110(31): p. 15218-15223.
  21. Housaindokht, M.R. and A. Nakhaei Pour, Study the effect of HLB of surfactant on particle size distribution of hematite nanoparticles prepared via the reverse microemulsion. Solid State Sciences, 2012. 14(5): p. 622-625.
  22. Darezereshki, E., One-step synthesis of hematite (α-Fe2O3) nano-particles by direct thermal-decomposition of maghemite. Materials Letters, 2011. 65(4): p. 642-645.
  23. Deraz, N.M. and A. Alarifi, Novel processing and magnetic properties of hematite/maghemite nano-particles. Ceramics International, 2012. 38(5): p. 4049-4055.
  24. Jacob, J. and M. Abdul Khadar, VSM and Mössbauer study of nanostructured hematite. Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, 2010. 322(6): p. 614-621.
  25. Žic, M., M. Ristić, and S. Musić, 57Fe Mössbauer, FT-IR and FE SEM investigation of the formation of hematite and goethite at high pH values. Journal of Molecular Structure, 2007. 834-836(0): p. 141-149.
  26. Gaviria, J.P., et al., Hematite to magnetite reduction monitored by Mössbauer spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Physica B: Condensed Matter, 2007. 389(1): p. 198-201.
  27. Goulart, A.T., et al., Multiple Iron-Rich Spinel Phases and Hematite in a Magnetic Soil Developing on Tuffite. Physics and Chemistry of Minerals, 1997. 25(1): p. 63-69.
  28. Kruk, M. and M. Jaroniec, Gas Adsorption Characterization of Ordered Organic-Inorganic Nanocomposite Materials. Chemistry of Materials, 2001. 13(10): p. 3169-3183.
  29. Akbar, S., et al., Synthesis of Fe2O3 nanoparticles by new Sol-Gel method and their structural and magnetic characterization.
  30. Raming, T.P., et al., The Synthesis and Magnetic Properties of Nanosized Hematite (α-Fe2O3) Particles. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2002. 249(2): p. 346-350.
  31. Liu, Q., et al., The magnetism of micro-sized hematite explained. Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, 2010. 183(3): p. 387-397.
  32. Lian, J., et al., Hematite (α-Fe2O3) with Various Morphologies: Ionic Liquid-Assisted Synthesis, Formation Mechanism, and Properties. ACS Nano, 2009. 3(11): p. 3749-3761.
  33. Özdemir, Ö. and D.J. Dunlop, Hysteresis and Coercivity of Hematite. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 2014.
  34. Özdemir, Ö. and D.J. Dunlop, Thermoremanent magnetization of multidomain hematite. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 2005. 110(B9): p. B09104-B09111.
  35. Ramesh, R., et al., Synthesis and vibrational properties of hematite (α-Fe2O3) nanoparticles. Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics, 2011. 22(9): p. 1357-1360.
  36. Gnanaprakash, G., et al., Magnetic nanoparticles with enhanced γ-Fe2O3 to α-Fe2O3 phase transition temperature. Nanotechnology, 2006. 17(23): p. 5851.
  37. El Mendili, Y., et al., Insights into the Mechanism Related to the Phase Transition from γ-Fe2O3 to α-Fe2O3 Nanoparticles Induced by Thermal Treatment and Laser Irradiation. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 2012. 116(44): p. 23785-23792.
  38. Harshada, N., et al., Mössbauer spectroscopic investigations of nanophase iron oxides synthesized by thermal plasma route. Materials Characterization, 2008. 59(9): p. 1215-1220.
  39. Schmidbauer, E. and M. Keller, Magnetic hysteresis properties, Mössbauer spectra and structural data of spherical 250nm particles of solid solutions. Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials, 2006. 297(2): p. 107-117.
  40. Zboril, R., M. Mashlan, and D. Petridis, Iron(III) Oxides from Thermal Processes-Synthesis, Structural and Magnetic Properties, Mössbauer Spectroscopy Characterization, and Applications. Chemistry of Materials, 2002. 14(3): p. 969-982.
  41. Lemine, O.M., et al., Rietveld analysis and Mössbauer spectroscopy studies of nanocrystalline hematite α-Fe2O3. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 2010. 502(2): p. 279-282.
  42. Gangas, N.H., et al., Mössbauer Studies of Small Particles of Iron Oxides in Soil. Clays and Clay Minerals, 1973. 21(3): p. 151-160.
How to Cite

ABDULKADIR, I., & Martincigh, B. S. (2015). Characterization of hematite nanoparticles synthesized via sol gel method in tween 20 surfactant solution. Nigerian Journal of Materials Science and Engineering, 6(1), 108-113.

I. ABDULKADIR, and B. S. Martincigh, "Characterization of hematite nanoparticles synthesized via sol gel method in tween 20 surfactant solution," Nigerian Journal of Materials Science and Engineering, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 108-113, June 2015.

Share this article:
Facebook X / Twitter LinkedIn
Download PDF Back to Articles